Waterproof head covering



NOV. 21, EMMET WATERPROOF HEAD COVERING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 25, 1958 INVENTOR Ruff; F Emma! ATTORNEY Nov. 21, 1961 R. F. EMMET 3,009,159

WATERPROOF HEAD COVERING Filed April 25, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 27 I 24 I arse x 2 Z 240 3 23a I l6 1 f R 2a INVENTOR Rufh F E mme/ BY Wm ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,009,159 WATERPROOF HEAD COVERING Ruth F. Emmet, Dover, Del., assignorto International Latex Corporation, Dover, Del., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 25, 1958, Ser. No. 730,972 1 Claim. (Cl. 268) This invention relates to a waterproof head covering of the type particularly adapted to protect the hair of the wearer while taking a shower.

The current pattern of feminine behavior often involves situations in which a woman wishes to take a shower immediately before going out to dinner or to participate in some other social activity after her hair has been conditioned, as by waving or setting either at home or in a beauty shop, so that it remains in a more or less fixed coiifure or arrangement. In many instances the conditioning is of a semi-permanent nature, as, for example, when the coiifure is sprayed with a lacquer or when the hair is permanently waved. A woman obviously wishes to maintain her hair in its conditioned state and to protect it from the enervating effect of moisture, in the form of steam or splashed water, during showering. Customarily, women protect their hair during showering by a waterproof head covering or shower cap whose edge fits tightly around the head and seals the interior of the cap against the entrance of water. However, because of the tight fitting edge, the hair is frequently disarrauged or mussed when the cap is placed on the head. At other times hair remains outside the cap and is difficult to tuck under the cap (past the tight ed-ge) so that its final position conforms to the desired coiffure.

The present invention provides an improved waterproof hair covering or shower cap as herein described which effectively seals the interior of the cap against moisture and which, because of an expandable fold construction strategically positioned in the sides of the cap, permits the hair to be placed thereunder without crushing or disarranging the conditioned coiifure. Due to the fold construction of the shower cap, the hair thereunder is maintained in a dry and undisturbed condition even during the movements incident to showering or bathing.

The shower cap of this invention is advantageously formed with a crown section which has attached thereto, along the outer periphery thereof, a depending wraparound skir't which acts as a hair encircling band. The hair encircling band has oppositely disposed diagonal edges which meet or cross each other in the front thereof to define an opening which partially curtains the face of the wearer. On each side of the face opening is a series or group of spaced folds, tucks, or pleats which advantageously extend downwardly from the periphery of the crown. Each fold is advantageously constructed so that the Width thereof decreases downwardly until the fold vanishes (i.e., comes to a point) adjacent to or near the bottom edge of the skirt. Each group of folds, when positioned so that they are substantially in line with the nearest edge forming the face opening, provides a means for easily securing locks of hair within the protective confines of thecap when the hair is tucked or pushed under the edges thereof by a hand motion perpendicular to the sides of the face opening. The edges of the face opening may criss-cross above the face opening to provide a partial covering of the forehead and a hugging-like action against the face while still permitting considerable elastic freedom in the movement of the edges. Consequently, locks of hair can easily be tucked under the cap into the region of the expanding folds.

Elastic means, such as an elastic band sewn over evenly spaced gathers or small tucks, along the lower marginal edge of the skirt around the back portion thereof, provides for a constant tension or pull along the lower marginal edge of the skirt and the edges defining the face opening to maintain the edges in a tight hugging relationship with the back of the neck and the face of the wearer thus precluding water or moisture from getting into the confines of the covering during the use thereof.

Additional advantages will become apparent from an examination of the description of the drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective showing a shower cap, constructed in accordance with this invention, in its normal position on the head of the wearer;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of the cap of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the cap of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIGURE 3 showing the attachment of the skirt to the crown.

In the drawings, FIGURES 1 through 3 illustrate a typical shower cap 10 of this invention. The shower cap of FIGURE 1 has a substantially flat crown portion 11 with an outer peripheral edge 12 and an under-turned portion or edge 13 (as shown in FIGURE 5). Positioned against peripheral edge 12 may be a beaded edging 14 which encircles the crown portion 11 to provide a decorative appearance thereto. The beaded edging 14 has an inwardly directed extended flat edge 15 which is positioned against the under-turned edge 13'. Depending from the beaded edge 14 is a skirt-like section 16 which forms a hair encircling band. As shown in FIGURE 5, at the top of the skirt is an inwardly extending portion or edge 17 positioned against the under-turned edge 15.

Edges 13, 15, and 17 are secured together, as by stitching, cementing, heat sealing, and the like, to form a water tight seal between the crown portion and the skirt.

The dependent skirt 16 attached to the outer periphery of the crown portion is formed from a piece of material which has the shape of a projected section of a truncated cone in which the diagonal edges 18 and 19 thereof are equal in length and form the same angle with the base. This skirt section encircles the crown portion so that the forward diagonal edges extend in an inward and downward direction from the edge of the crown section and cross each other to form equal and opposite angles to the crown portion. The criss-crossed portion of the cap provides a section 20 for the covering of the hair over the upper forehead of the wearer and permits freedom of motion along the entire length of each diagonal edge when tucking the hair thereunder. The lower and major portions of the diagonal edges 18 and 19 (below the point where the diagonal edges of the skirt criss-cross) define an opening for [the face of the wearer which generally follows the hairline and curtains the hair and ears as shown in FIGURE 1. The diagonal directions of the edges change at points on the sides of the skirt below the ears, the bottom edge 21 of the back of the skirt being substantially horizontal.

Positioned in the front and side portions of the skirt is a group of triangularly shaped expandable folds 22, 23, and 24 in one side and 22a, 23a, and 24a in the other side. The expandable folds are spaced apart from each other and are substantially in line with the adjacent diagonal edge which defines the face opening (see FIG- URES 3 and 4); Each expandable fold is formed by tucking and securing a portion of the sides of the skirt to the perpihery of the crown. Because of the particular angular arrangement of the folds, the folds are made to Patented Nov. 21, 1961 3 disappear at a locus in the region of the bottom marginal edge of the skirt. The width of the top of the fold may be varied by varying the width of the tuck. This arrangement of groups of folds angularly positioned in each side of the covering with each generally parallel to the near diagonal edge, provides an area of expansion in the sides of the cap where it fits over the temples and over the forehead of the wearer where the hair is normally pushed in or bunched so the cap can be positioned over the hair of the wearer in an easy and simple manner. The group of folds also provides a pleated region in each side of the cap which easily expands and hence avoids interference with the tucking motion of the hands when the side locks of hair are pushed under the cap. It will be appreciated that the number of folds and the depth thereof may be varied to accommodate for various styles and masses of hair.

The bottom marginal edge 21 of the back of the cap has a number of small gatherings which are distributed substantially evenly thereover in sequence. The gatherings are formed by sewing an elastic band 25 in stretched condition to the bottom edge. This construction provides tension along the bottom marginal edge of the cap for holding the edge in snug relationship with the back portion of the head of the wearer and for simultaneously applying tension along each diagonal edge to keep the marginal edge of the face opening against the face of the wearer.

The marginal edges of the diagonal edges 18 and 19 may be provided with decorative stitching 26 and a fanciful medallion 27 above the face opening directly over the point of overlapping to give the garment a pleasing and sophisticated appearance.

The shower cap of this invention permits easy positioning and/or adjustment of side locks of hair after the cap has been placed on the head of the wearer by a stroke of the hand substantially perpendicular to a diagonal edge. This motion of the hand quickly and simply tucks the locks or strands of loose hair within the confines of the covering in a region which is simultaneously expanded by the pushing of the hair against the triangularly shaped folds. This arrangement allows for a gentle treatment of the precurled, treated, or conditioned hair which must be gently handled yet firmly held in order that its arrangement be preserved.

It will be appreciated that changes and modifications in the structure or arrangement of the novel features of the hair covering of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

A waterproof head covering for protecting the hair of the wearer from wetness during showering and the like comprising a flat generally circular crown portion having a horizontal edge of the periphery thereof, a skirt attached to the horizontal edge of the crown portion and extending downwardly to the neck line to form a hair covering, said skirt having oppositely positioned edges in the front thereof, one of said oppositely positioned edges overlapping the other and defining a face opening in the shape of an inverted V, said face-openingdefining edges sloping downwardly from the lower forehead portion across the side of the face to the back of the neck of the wearer, the face defining edges being independently moveable to form an adjustable opening, a group of spaced expandable folds in the front of the head covering spaced backwardly from said oppositely positioned edges on both sides thereof and comprising folds positioned in the side of the head covering portion, said folds extending downwardly from the horizontal edge of the periphery of the crown portion, the lower rear edge portion of the skirt being gathered and an elastic strip attached to said gathers adapted to apply tension to the lower marginal edge of said skirt and to the edges of the skirt forming the face opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

